Thursday, August 30, 2012

Much to my children's chagrin, I have been watching the RNC Convention (How dare I turn off Spongebob on vacation!!!)...and have been surprised by how impressed I have been with most of the speakers I've seen.

Condeleeza was the pinnacle thus far. Then Ann Romney followed closely by Paul Ryan. I thought Artur Davis was great as was the female Governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez. I missed a few I wanted to see like Rand Paul and Scott Walker. The only person I was left feeling a bit unimpressed with was the one person I thought would wow me...keynote speaker Chris Christie. It wasn't a bad speech by any means...just a tame, run-of-the-mill political speech.

So, this morning, I Googled "RNC convention quotes" so I could post a few of my favorites here and this is what Google spit back:

Because the Batman killer has so much to do with the RNC Convention. But, you know, I'm sure that was just an innocent mistake that a mass murdering idiot's face comes up with when you Google the Republican Convention...

And, speaking of gun clingers...

Wasn't it amazing how all those racist, Tea Party Conservatives that were crammed into the Tampa bay Times Forum building went insane for Condi Rice. The noise levels rivaled those at a Justin Beiber concert. And...she did it with no teleprompter.

Condoleeza Rice:

Quote of the Night: "And on a personal note– a little girl grows up in Jim Crow Birmingham – the most segregated big city in America - her parents can’t take her to a movie theater or a restaurant – but they make her believe that even though she can’t have a hamburger at the Woolworth’s lunch counter – she can be President of the United States and she becomes the Secretary of State.

Yes, America has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. But of course it has never been inevitable – it has taken leadership, courage and an unwavering faith in our values."

"Self esteem comes from achievement, not from lax standards an false praise."

"Let me ask you, though, today, when I can look at your zip code and can tell whether you are going to get a good education – can I really say that it doesn’t matter where you came from – it matters where you are going. The crisis in K-12 education is a grave threat to who we are. My mom was a teacher – I have the greatest respect for the profession – we need great teachers – not poor or mediocre ones. We need to have high standards for our students – self-esteem comes from achievement not from lax standards and false praise. And we need to give parents greater choice – particularly poor parents whose kids – most often minorities are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil rights struggle of our day."

Quote of the Night: "I can't tell you what will happen over the next four years. But I can only stand here tonight, as a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an American, and make you this solemn commitment:

This man will not fail.

This man will not let us down.

This man will lift up America!"

"I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a “storybook marriage.” Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once. And those storybooks never seemed to have chapters called MS or Breast Cancer. A storybook marriage? No, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage."

"It's true that Mitt has been successful at each new challenge he has taken on. It amazes me to see his history of success actually being attacked. Are those really the values that made our country great? As a mom of five boys, do we want to raise our children to be afraid of success? Do we send our children out in the world with the advice, “Try to do... okay?”"

Rep. Paul Ryan:

Quote of the Night: “None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers, a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us.”

“President Obama is the kind of politician who puts promises on the record and then calls that the record. But we are four years into this presidency. The issue is not the economy that Barack Obama inherited, not the economy as he envisions it, but this economy that we are living.”

"My playlist starts at AC/DC and ends with Zeppelin."

Gov. Mike Huckabee:

"I'd feel better about having a leader who gives more of his own money instead of mine."

"Friends, we're talking about leading the country, not playing on a third-grade soccer team. I realize this is the man who got a Nobel Peace Prize for what he would potentially do, but in the real world, you get the prize for producing something, not just promising it."

Former Democrat Rep. Artur Davis:

"Some of you may know, the last time I spoke at a convention, it turned out I was in the wrong place.

So, Tampa, my fellow Republicans, thank you for welcoming me where I belong.

We have a country to turn around. This week you will nominate the most experienced executive to seek the presidency in 60 years in Mitt Romney."

On another note, I wonder why there were so many women, Hispanics and African Americans there...the MSM told me the GOP only has old, white men...?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Petulance. Peevishness. Grumpiness. Irritableness. Tantrums. Petulance is a strong trait of the left, and Obama has shown more than “his fair share.” However, petulance will re-elect Obama and usher in a very dark four years just as surely as pulling the lever for him. Petulance on our part, that is. Petulance not only has no place in this election, it is absolutely dangerous.

I did not get my preferred candidate this year, nor last time. Still, I voted against Obama last time, more than for McCain, and I will vote for Romney this time. Think about Obama after he wins this re-election. Think of what will begin the day after the vote is certified.

He and his kind will, without the fetters of re-election and without needing complete control of Congress, strive to accomplish his total and fundamental remaking, read “destruction,” of America. He will, rather like the father of the Democratic party, Andrew Jackson, use, as he has, a very questionable executive order approach to make his agenda happen, then dare Congress to do something about it; and with Republican control only of the House and the Senate under the control of Reid and crew, Obama's fist will be law. He will complete that by ensuring that the Supreme Court is majority radical leftist for decades to come and will not stand up to him. After four more years, Hillary will likely be ascendant and leftist suppression of the vote and control of the media being what they will be by then, she will be nearly a shoo-in.

We are in a precarious position right now and it is total fantasy to compare Romney/Ryan to Obama/Biden. We work with what we have and no amount of shoulda, coulda, woulda will make a damned bit of difference. If you don't like Romney, and would prefer Paul/Bachman/Santorum/Perry or whomever, then next time help get them onto the ticket. Romney whupped them fair and square. They all support him because they know the danger to the Republic that Obama II poses. Don't do a Thelma and Louise and drive us all off the cliff just because you can't have your way.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Listen at the :15 mark: "Obama Has a Plan to Rebuild America From the Ground Up". This is what we call a "radical" idea.

rad·i·cal [rad-i-kuhl]
adjective
1. of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference.
2. thoroughgoing or extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms: a radical change in the policy of a company.
3. favoring drastic political, economic, or social reforms: radical ideas; radical and anarchistic ideologues.
4. forming a basis or foundation.
5. existing inherently in a thing or person: radical defects of character.

In order to build any building "from the ground up", you first must remove anything that is already there. The so called radicals of the sixties believed that society as we knew it needed to be torn down so that a new, "occupy type" society could be built upon the rubble of civilization.

Clinton was a child of the sixties. He is not uncomfortable discussing rebuilding America "from the ground up". In 2008, Obama said, " In five days we are going to fundamentally transform America". He has not yet succeeded. Obamacare will fundamentally transform America if it is allowed to proceed, by changing the relationship between the citizen and the government. The crushing amount of debt incurred by this administration, on top of what was already there, will fundamentally transform America if not curtailed. And none of this will transform America in a good way.

"Now, wait a minute", some might say. "What about the Tea Party? Aren't they considered radical?" In the sense that the Constitution was and is to be the foundation of our government, yes. As far as tearing down society, by tearing down the economy so that government can take a greater role in people's lives, no! And government is the last thing the Democrats want to tear down to the roots, they want government to continue to grow and become more powerful.

A "radical" approach to government could be summed up in the Tenth Amendment:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The power of government is to be based upon "the consent of the governed". Ideally, the closer the government is to the voter, the more accountable it will be. Tea Partiers believe that much, if not most of government has grown beyond what the Constitution set forth as limits and that we have far more government than we can possibly afford.

In education, for example, many people believe that education is primarily the responsibility of the parents, and the more local the control of education is, the more control the parents have over what their child's is being taught. A completing philosophy believes that the government and education bureaucrats know what is best for your child. A federal, top down structure is as unaccountable to any individual parent as possible. And the hubris of thinking that some six figure bureaucrat knows what is best for every student, across fifty different states, in a country of 300 million, in a one-size-fits-all plan, demonstrates an unfounded faith in the power of government. The money to support a federal department of education would be better spent in the classrooms of the communities where the money was siphoned from in the first place.

There are many examples that could be cited of government waste. Unfortunately, other than a little election year lip service, the ruling class of the Nanny State have no interest in government becoming smaller or less intrusive, or less expensive.

There are competing visions this November. One wants to rebuild America from the ground up. In order to do this, they must first tear down what is already there, including the world's premier healthcare system. The other wants to reform our government, by cleaning out the deadwood, and get back to the Constitution that has helped safeguard our freedom for hundreds of years.

"Obama Has a Plan to Rebuild America From the Ground Up", said Bill Clinton. And Obama approved the message. Let's do what we need to do to get rid of the disastrous policies of the last four years and put America back to work again. You owe it to your children.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012

So, two years ago we were evacuated from our vacation courtesy of Hurricane Earl and last year Hurricane Irene ensured we started vacation 3 days late. Thus far the forecast for our impending southern get away looks promising, but it wouldn't be summer in the Outer Banks without Isaac lurking...

That means WRITERS ARE NEEDED for this week.

Now, I know there is a lot of yelling at the TV at this point of an election cycle. And the good thing is, you can still vent anonymously if that's what you want. Send me a guest post written by Spidergirrrl or LiberalAvenger or whatever name you choose.

All political persuasions may apply.

Just email me a guest post (and an accompanying pic if you like) and whatever 'blog name' you'd like it to be published under...And I'll see you all again Monday the 3rd :)

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

So, the second I saw the cast of "Operatives" picked for the new reality show 'Stars Earn Stripes,' I knew Free and Jpck would have a bunch of crap to say. They'd come up with things like...his scarf isn't reg or his shoulder is dropped down too far when he shoots or his glasses are tinted too much...blah, blah. The real reason is this is an ensemble of some of the best looking, manliest, special forces men our military has to offer. They are the total package and when you're the total package...there are always gonna be haters. ;)

So, in one sense, I get the military guys busting some stones with the series. But, I didn't expect Desmond TuTu and a bunch of other Nobel Laureates to demand the show be taken off the air. They claim it glorifies war and makes military operations into sport. Do you receive an honorary FCC membership when you win the Peace Prize?

Now, to Free and Jpck I would argue that this show is meant to bring awareness to the risks the military is exposed to with every mission they execute AND to raise money for various military and first responder charities like Wounded Warrior and the Pat Tillman Scholarships. But, I am sure this argument would fall on deaf ears with the Laureates as they've demonstrated they have no care for veteran charities and seem to deem veterans so distasteful...

I'm sue it didn't help the shows chances with the MSM that all the Operatives and contestants earned a great respect for Todd Palin...

Well, NBC, for what it's worth I plan to watch each and every episode. Maybe twice.

OPERATIVES:Dale Comstock: A retired Master Sergeant who spent 20 years in the U.S. Army, Comstock was twice decorated for valor and spent half his tenure as a Delta Force Operator and five years as a Green Beret. After his retirement, he spent nine years as a freelance soldier in support of the global war on terror. J.W. Cortes: Cortes served in the U.S. Marines Corps for 13 years, rising to the level of Gunnery Sergeant. He is an Iraq war veteran, having served in the beginning phases of the war in 2003. Also during his time in the Marines Corps, he served at U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and in Canberra, Australia. He is currently an officer with the New York MTA Police DepartmentBrent Gleeson: A former U.S. Navy SEAL stationed at SEAL Team FiveChris Kyle: Kyle is a decorated former U.S. Navy SEAL and author of The New York Times best-selling book "American Sniper," which details his experiences in Iraq. Kyle's expert marksmanship during his four tours of duty earned him the nickname "The Devil of Ramadi" from the Iraqi insurgent forces.Andrew McLaren: Former U.S. Marine Sergeant. During his time in the Marines, he was with the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team and served in Iraq and Liberia.Grady Powell: During his time as a Green Beret, Powell served as a Senior Detachment Weapons Sergeant in the U.S. Army Special Forces. Tom Stroup: A current member of the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff's Department and a SWAT Commander, Stroup is a five-time world champion of international SWAT competitions.Talon Smith: Currently a U.S. Navy Corpsman 1st Reconnaissance Bn, stationed in Camp Pendleton. He just returned from deployment in Afghanistan in April.

Regardless, Obama has used this to gain political points at the expense of operational security and says these Special Forces operatives have no authority to speak about the White House leaks...? Really?

Monday, August 20, 2012

Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs has been without Glenn Beck on the radio for almost a year and a half. It came at a good time, as he was starting to freak me out and I was actively suppressing the urge to stockpile...

Our Conservative talk radio station was bought by the MSM and Beck & Hannity promptly let go for "local talent." They kept Rush because money still trumps ideology.

Now a new station has come to Philly. Rush jumped the 1210 ship and came over and they brought Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity back into town. They also added "Great One" Mark Levin --which is awesome as we've never had him here in Philly.

So, the other day I was driving the middle child to goalie camp and listening to Beck for the first time in a long time...and literally laughing out loud (it reminded my of the days when Stern was in his prime...)

Glenn was talking about a passage in Obama's book in which he describes his introduction to Hanuman the undefeated, Demon fighting, monkey god. Oh, good, it's on YouTube already:

Thanks, I think I'll cling to my religion and he can keep his 10 story Monkey with the strength of 10 men...

Thursday, August 16, 2012

But according to Obama’s revisionist version of American history, we tried capitalism only briefly during our history. First, during the Robber Barron period of the late 19th Century, the result of which was child labor and unprecedented lower-class poverty. These ravages were supposedly only corrected by the progressive policies of Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. We tried capitalism again in the 1920s, according to Obama, and the result was the Great Depression. This time, it allegedly took FDR’s New Deal to finally slay that capitalist monster. Then, the account only gets more farcical. Apparently, we tried capitalism again under George W. Bush, and the result was the housing bubble, financial crisis, and ensuing Great Recession. Obama now argues that government is needed once again to save the day.

This view is complete fiction and proves that Obama is not qualified to teach elementary school civics, let alone serve as President of the United States. I wonder what other economic system he believes we followed prior to the 1890s and 1920s (and during the 1950s and 1960s) that that he now seeks to restore? Capitalism did not start with J.P. Morgan in 1890s or John D. Rockefeller in the 1920s as the President suggests. In fact, it was about that time that capitalism came under attack by the progressives. We were born and prospered under capitalism. The Great Depression did not result from unbridled capitalism, but from the monetary policy of the newly created Federal Reserve and the interventionist economic policies of both Hoover and Roosevelt – policies that were decidedly un-capitalist.

I was watching that idiot GOP economist Art Laffer today on CNBC. He called Paul Ryan a staunch advocate for financial restraint (paraphrasing here). Turns out that really wasn't true during the Bush years.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Man is no longer a small business owner. Neither The Man or I work for the government (state or federal). We're straight. We're not military. We're not poor and/or using any entitlement programs. We're not rich with off shore accounts or stocks and bonds. We're not employed by big corporations. We don't run a non-profit. We have disability-free children (thus far). We don't own a bunch of real estate. The public school our children attend is a top notch, blue ribbon school.

As far as I can surmise, we have no special interests that are dictated by our employment, family, geographic or financial situation.

We are a Light Blue collar, lower middle-middle class family that's living debt-free and a bit better than pay check to pay check.

With no vested special interest*...are we and those like us a class of more selfless voters? Are we voting for the candidates we think are best for the country as a whole since we have no personal dog in the fight? No company to save, to pension to pad and no money to allot to a specific cause...

Maybe the 'No Special Interest' people should be the one to pick the nominees. I think the landscape might be vastly different...

*I should emphasize that I am not demonizing special interests...just making an observation. If I had a child with autism, I'm sure I'd want more money funneled that way. Or if I was a single mom working at Amtrak, I'd want the candidate that funds rail systems. It's natural and normal to protect your own interests...my question is, what does this say about the voting patterns of those of us that don't have anything on the chopping black to protect?

Monday, August 13, 2012

Not to put toooooo fine a point on it, but, separated at birth? I just wonder.

One is Samantha Lewthwaite, wife of the pig vomit mass killer Germaine Lindsay, a.k.a. Abdullah Shaheed Jamal (shaheed means martyr), who blew his murdering self up on a London subway, murdering innocents as a brave soldier of Allah, piss be upon both of them.

The other is Casey Anthony who limited her murdering to her little girl, Caylee. Piss be upon Casey, too, but she’d probably like it.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

I am on record as supporting attack ads. I have no problem with Down and Dirty politics...regardless of their perceived 'relevance' to the Presidency. IF THE ACCUSATIONS ARE TRUE. If a candidate slept with their nanny (or their pool boy)...I have no problem with the opposition exploiting the character flaw and I feel the public should know that. But to blatantly make up things? Too far. Even for someone like me that is normally amused by the mudslinging....

Romney no longer in charge of day-to-day decisions at Bain by the time the steel plant closed down.

The man’s wife – his name is Joe Soptic, hers was Ranae – actually died in 2006, nearly five years after the original layoff.

The former steelworker acknowledged that his wife had actually continued to have insurance of her own after he was laid off, and only lost her coverage more than a year later, when she left her own job because of an injury.

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Wednesday, August 08, 2012

I am annoyed. It seems that I keep finding conversations, blog posts, Facebook comments, news stories, political pundit diatribes, and most alarmingly even devout members of my own faith who are manipulating Christianity to fit in with their personal viewpoints and agendas lately. (Disclaimer: I have been guilty of this in the past too, largely due to my own ignorance.)

I am sorry to have to tell all of you good folks, and indeed many of you are wonderful and loving people, but you are NOT the arbiter of the Christian faith. You cannot dictate what the tenets of Christianity are. You cannot modify Christian doctrine or eliminate those parts that are inconvenient to your way of thinking, or to justify your lifestyle. You cannot re-interpret or modify what Christ and His Apostles meant because it will make for a stronger point in an argument for you. You cannot decide which parts of the moral law or catechism are no longer relevant.

If you are Catholic, you cannot modify the Nicene Creed to meet your new enlightened world view. If you are Protestant, you cannot personally interpret scripture to tell us what you are certain Christ really meant. If you are a secularist, you cannot morph Jesus into some less than Divine, but still all-around-good-guy-philosopher-new-age guru and still call it Christianity.

You simply do not have that right or authority.

And neither do I.

It was Christ himself, the second person of the Holy Trinity, that established His church on earth. Christ was the one who taught what the tenets of the faith were in His culmination and fulfillment of Jewish Old Testament prophecies. It was our Lord Christ who bequeathed the power and authority to His apostles to keep and teach that Christian faith that He established. Indeed, in the Gospel of Matthew, Christ emphatically stated to his apostle Peter the following:

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." -Matthew 16: 18-19

Christianity is a revealed religion. It has been handed down from Christ to Peter and His apostles in an unbroken line of apostolic succession of popes over these last two millennia. The authentic Christian faith is not open to interpretation. Not by Arius, Luther, or Smith, and certainly not by politicians such as Obama, Bush, Romney, or Pelosi.

One has to either accept, or reject, the full Deposit of Faith as handed down from Christ through his apostles and their successors. If that is not satisfactory, you may start your own church based on your own interpretations and beliefs, but don’t assume that it is also an authentic Christian church.

Now that is not to say that there aren’t many churches which do wonderful good deeds and have very loving and holy people within their congregations that try very hard to live their lives and faith as they THINK Christ would want them to do. The problem is that often times these “Christian churches” practice their faith based on the erroneous interpretation of some pastor instead of what Christ actually revealed to us.

It is not for ANY of us to interpret what Christ meant. That authority was given from God in the person of Christ to the very first pope, Peter. That authority was given to His church in its Magisterium. In other words, that authority to bind and loose and teach what Christ revealed to us lies with our current Pope Benedict XVI and his bishops. This teaching authority of what constitutes Christianity resides within the Magisterium of the Church that Christ established on earth. That authority does not reside with ANYONE ELSE, and it certainly doesn’t reside with me.

The Magisterium, guided by the Holy Spirit, protects the Deposit of Faith from any deviation, addition, subtraction, reversal, contradiction, distortion, or destruction offered by those who wish Church teaching to be something it is not. Again, not even the gates of the netherworld will prevail against Christ’s own Church. The Holy Spirit will defend God’s Church and its teachings accordingly.

When told something about Christianity by a well-meaning person, or sadly sometimes by a not-so-well-meaning person, that happens to be contradictory to what Christ has taught, it is incumbent upon Christians to politely but firmly point out the truth. Truth about Christianity is not open to their interpretation or my interpretation of the faith, but rather it must come ultimately from Christ himself. To make sure that we follow His truth, logic would suggest that we follow what His Magisterium teaches on his behalf. Relying on any other person, no matter how well-meaning or holy, will only lead us astray accordingly.

It seems like as the country has become more polarized, the presidential elections have gotten simpler. There are only maybe a few "swing" states and that's where you need to spend most of your ad money. Since the president is now leading in New Mexico, Colorado, New Hampshire, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida it looks like it's getting tougher and tougher for Mitt to get to 270. Of course, November is still a long time from now and you never know what might happen between now and then.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

"Congress took action where the Supreme Court didn’t to curb Westboro Baptist Church’s followers from protesting the funerals of fallen troops and veterans.

President Obama signed into law Monday the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act that includes language aimed at protecting service members funerals. The church based in Kansas is best known for staging protests at service members funerals to protest the service of homosexuals in the military.

In 2011, the Supreme Court ruled the First Amendment protected Westboro’s right to protest the funerals. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that “as a nation we have chosen … to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

Sen. Olympia Snow, R-Maine, introduced legislation three months following the Court’s ruling that gives the government the right to further protect the funerals. The act argues that ensuring fallen troops have respectful burials is important to maintaining a strong military and protecting national security.

The new law extends bans on picketing funeral services of troops and veterans from 150 feet to 300 feet, and prohibits protests from being conducted up to two hours before and after a funeral. Previously the ban was for an hour before and after.

Violations are punishable by a fine and up to a year in jail." (source)

Circumventing the Supreme Court and placing tangible limitations on free speech seems wrong to me --even in light of how much I despise the Westboro "Baptist" "Church." Last week, as I was explaining the Chick-Fil-A dust up to my kids, we talked a lot about defending speech even when it makes our skin crawl. Always makes me think about Michael Douglas' free speech diatribe in The American President:

"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free". The American President, 1995

Calls to Destroy Egypt’s Great Pyramids Begin
"According to several reports in the Arabic media, prominent Muslim clerics have begun to call for the demolition of Egypt’s Great Pyramids—or, in the words of Saudi Sheikh Ali bin Said al-Rabi‘i, those “symbols of paganism,” which Egypt’s Salafi party has long planned to cover with wax. Most recently, Bahrain’s “Sheikh of Sunni Sheikhs” and President of National Unity, Abd al-Latif al-Mahmoud, called on Egypt’s new president, Muhammad Morsi, to “destroy the Pyramids and accomplish what the Sahabi Amr bin al-As could not.”

I know this is Un-PC, but sometimes it makes me sick that Americans are dying for these people...

Friday, August 03, 2012

"Those of you not in favor of marriage equality - how are you going to handle the awkward conversation with you grand kids in 30 years? With the same pride of those who opposed the civil rights act 50 years ago?"

I sent him this private message:

"I don't do politics on facebook, but I thought I might clear up a common liberal misconception about the traditional marriage crowd.

Most everyone I know believes in full legal benefits through civil unions or domestic partnership. They also are just as offended by atheists having a 'marriage.' (It isn't an anti-gay thing, it's an anti-anti God thing --though, we won't stone you for it) Most of us 'traditional marriage' folks believe in Civil Unions for all secularists (not just gays) and marriages for those that want God involved in their union. We don't want to take legal benefits from anyone. This is the one thing France does right...

I know it's more fun (especially in an election year) to paint us as gun-toting, gay hating neanderthals akin to the slave masters of the South...but it's just not the case. You'd be shocked how many gays have joined our Conservative Blogging ranks..."

The Libertarian Party also posted a similar message yesterday:

It did get me thinking, but is it an accurate analogy...? I know prominent Black leaders have railed at the comparison...

There are a few things about this whole marriage equality debate that perplex me...

1) I have been told by many a gay man that monogamy in gay relationships is virtually unheard of. Why even bother entering into a marriage knowing you will not forsake all others?

2) Marriage is not a real legal contract anyway. It's a joke. If you want to enter into a real legal contract with your partner, start a business.

3) It seems to be a STRAIGHT issue. NONE of my gay friends post about gay marriage or talk about it unless some straight person brings it up. I have two straight friends on FB that post nothing but marriage equality stuff...what's the psychology behind that?

Unfortunately, I think both sides prefer to keep this as a wedge issue or the Civil Unions for all, Marriage for a few would have been introduced by someone...

Thursday, August 02, 2012

As I have stated here many times in the past, I am a proponent of full and equal legal rights for gay couples that want them. I have no care about what people do in their bedrooms and I hope they have no thoughts about what I do in mine. But, I also don't believe it's evil, hateful or discriminatory to believe what the Bible says about homosexuality and to state that belief publicly. The Bible says hate the sin and not the sinner. And, Lord knows, we're all sinners.

Our trek to Chick-Fil-A yesterday was about FREE SPEECH. Full stop.

I wasn't sure what to expect living in the liberal oasis that is Philadelphia.

The parking lot was jam-packed. The restaurant was standing room only. And the drive through wrapped around the building.

The first thing I noticed was the vast diversity of the crowds walking into the building. White, black, well dressed, blue collar, families and singletons.

Philly's finest was in attendance, but there were no protestors that I saw. Only hoards or supporters.

They had obviously anticipated the support and had tons of employees behind the counter.

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

WASHINGTON — For genealogists, President Obama’s family tree is the gift that keeps on giving.

There was Dick Cheney, Warren Buffett and Sarah Palin. On Monday, genealogists added another notable figure to Obama's unlikely list of relatives: John Punch, a Virginia slave who some historians consider the first African enslaved in the colonies.

The connection to Punch, an indentured servant forced into slavery in 1640, comes from Obama’s mother’s side of the family, said Joseph Shumway, a genealogist with Ancestry.com, the website that has been researching the president’s family tree for years.

In a not so rare bit of Fauxcahontas envy, with less than 100 days before the 2012 election, genealogists have "uncovered" a link between Obama and slavery. AP might have thought this nothingburger story might give the 'Bamster a little more street cred, to have the "blood of slaves" flowing through his veins, but I don't think there are that many people in this country that give a rat's patoot whether Barry is 50% or 51% or 52% black.

Even if it were true, having an ancestor that far back on the family tree did nothing to shape his thinking in his formative years or beyond. Besides, it doesn't matter who Obama is so much as what he has done, which is nothing helpful and much to harm the economy and prolong the recession. That's why Obama is running on his "vision" for America, because he cannot run on his record.

And if you read this story all the way through, three paragraphs from the end, you are treated to this:

Obama’s connection to Punch is similarly inconclusive

Inconclusive, eh? Color me unimpressed.

But, the choicest irony of the story, and the one reason why Obama would be wisest not to incorporate this into his re-election narrative, is that Obama's tenuous claim to the blood of slaves, comes through his "typical white grandmother". Being two generations closer to her slave roots did nothing at all, according to Obama, to make her more sensitive to the plight of minorities. It might be entertaining to hear Obama try to make the case, though.